Identity Default
by AsiraK-KarisA
Summary: Artemis never really expected much out of life. She had an adopted brother named Dick, lived in boringly normal Idaho, had a normal family with pretty cool but normal friends. Everything was normal and perfect. That is, until four teenagers with superpowers tell her and Dick that they're sidekicks who work for the Justice League and have to come back. Well, there went normal.
1. Good Morning

9/2/2013

_Yeah, yeah, I know. I should really be updating Iridescent or Now You See Me, but whatever. This story won't be super long anyway. Ten or less most likely._

_I think the inspiration for this came from a Teen Titans fic where Raven had her memories erased and was told she had a concussion and lived in a normal family. I don't really remember the name of it, but I do remember the author gave up the story half way in and that made me want to cry. Like- cry a lot._

_So I'm not to positive on the summary, I feel like some people might think it's an OC fic (daily dose of Fanfiction facts: OC is now a character select, so please if your story is about an OC put it on there) from a glance, so I might change it later. Don't know yet. Also, does any have a better title? This was really the first thing I could think of, so i just sorta when with it._

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9/6/2013

_Ok, I guess this technically isn't an update but I thought it might be important to mention that I completely rewrote this chapter. It was in third person, so I changed that and the chain of event that happens are completely different. If you already read the first chapter I'm asking you to read this, because it's_ very _important you do._

_Thank you for your understanding._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

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**Identity Default **

**Chapter 1: School Bus Blues and Jump Scares**

Anapine, Idaho 

November 11 (Monday), 6:30 am MST 

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

I threw my arm out towards the alarm clock, blindly slamming my hand around the bedside table, still cocooned under my blankets. I missed a few times before my clock produced a click, signaling the snooze button had been hit. I let my hand limply hang off the edge of the bed, too tired to actually pull it back under the blankets with me.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

I groaned, rolling the other direction until I bumped into the wall. I grabbed my spare pillow, burying my head under it to block out the vexatious noise.

_Beep! Beep! Bee-_

"What's with you and mornings? It's like some really weird on off relationship."

I jumped at the noise, hitting my elbow on the wall. I whined, shimmying deeper into my blankets and rubbing my elbow with a tired scowl. It was way too early for this. It was way too early for _life._

"By the way," Dick continued. "You were hitting the button that lets you set the time. Good try though." He grabbed the edge of my comforter and pulled it back. I shivered at the cold air of my room.

"Go 'way," I yawned, my voice muffled by the pillow I had shoved under it. I hadn't even glanced at him. "You're a jerk."

Dick laughed, pulling my blankets off the rest of the way and tossing them into the floor. "Of course I am! I can actually produce thought in the mornings."

I moaned in tired agreement.

"_So_, you should get up." Dick suggested.

I finally pulled my face off the pillow that just seemed way too soft to be legal at the moment. I stared at him, almost smiling.

Dick's short, sandy auburn hair was tousled and jutting out in every direction; his bright blue eyes were clouded with sleep and only really half open. The gray wife beater was rumpled and wrinkled and his plaid dark blue pajama pants clung to his thin waist.

I narrowed my smoky gray eyes at him in semi-jealousy.

It so wasn't fair that he could look anything like that and still be such a morning person.

"And why would I ever want to do that?" I questioned, pulling down my tee-shirt to straighten it out. "Getting up means school." I said flatly.

Dick rolled his eyes, strolling over to the door and flicking on the light switch beside it. I used my hand to cover my eyes from the sudden light.

"You mean _half_ a day of school." He corrected happily.

"Oh what's this? The Boy Wonder is happy about less school?" I drawled, swinging my legs over the edge of my bed and letting the dangle. "I must still be asleep."

"Oh shut up." Dick said, leaning against the wall. "Me and Gracie have a project to do at the library this afternoon."

I grinned at him, wiping some of the sleepy out of my eyes. "So that explains that. My little bro's ready for some lip on lip action with his little girl friend."

Dick's face glowed red a little but he didn't falter. I swear he was immune to embarrassing sibling banter.

"Come downstairs already, Anthony made breakfast." I wrinkled my nose at the idea of my adoptive father cooking anything but- "He made pancakes." Anything but pancakes.

They were pretty much the only thing other than a glass of water that Anthony could make.

"Sweet." I raked a hand over my face and stretched my arms high above my head. My joints popped and my muscles ached in appreciation. "What are we waiting for?"

We made our way down the stairs, Dick taking them two at a time and with much more enthusiasm than I ever could at six in the morning. We wandered through the sitting room and past the living room, coming to a stop at the kitchen.

Both a man and a woman were moving around the kitchen, doing their own thing. The man was visually much too tall to be in such a small space with dark brown hair and a goatee mustache combo growing. The woman had platinum blonde hair pulled back into a three second bun with sharp green eyes. She was the only person I has ever met that can be so loving but terrifying at the exact same time.

Anthony, the college professor who adopted me when I was only four, was standing in front of his griddle, a plate beside him stacked with a good four or five pancakes on it. Virginia, his wife- a full time law attorney and full time over protective and nosey mom, was buzzing around the kitchen the way she normally did when Anthony cooked.

She didn't exactly trust him on his own yet, so she always kept close by, making up excuses like dishes and getting out plates to make sure her husband didn't burn the house down.

"Oh good, Artemis." Virginia said happily, standing on her toes to pull down a stack of plates for us. She was a pretty short woman; actually being shorter than myself, who was only fifthteen years old. I hadn't even stopped growing yet. "You got up. How do you do it Dick?"

He just shrugged, grinned at me with that little shit eating smile he always got. "I like to think of myself as the Artemis whisperer." He said, going over to Anthony and putting a good sized pancake on his plate. "It's a gift."

I just rolled my eyes, plopping down into my seat with my already made breakfast in front of me.

Syrup, strawberry jam, confectioner's sugar (yeah, we go _all out_ on pancake mornings) and a small Christmas platter that Virginia most likely just found in the back of one of the cupboards filled with freshly cut food were spread out in the middle of the table. I grabbed my fork, taking a few pieces of strawberries and swiping a handful of blueberries before Anthony ate them all.

"Artemis, sweetie, what would you like to drink?" Virginia asked; putting a cup of water in Anthony's spot, milk in Dick's and some ice tea in front of her plate. Dick slid into his seat, smiling appreciatively at the woman.

I frowned. "Coffee."

Virginia shook her head, going over to get a cup anyway. "I'm sorry sweetie, but you know you aren't allowed to have coffee. It's bad for the young mind."

It was always the same response. I only keep trying to see if she'll crack one day. "Just some water." She had already been filling the cup with water from the fridge, so whatever.

Once we were all settled, we did a quick meaningless prayer like we always did. Anthony and Virginia weren't religious as far as I knew, and I _had _been living with for eleven years.

When Dick had first moved in, and after he had a better understanding of English, he had sworn that he saw some kind of religious text in Anthony's library/office. We had poked around his bookcases for hours but came up empty. Dick still stands by it, but I don't buy it.

We ate for a good seven minutes surrounded by polite small talk before Virginia dropped the bomb.

The blonde had just finished and pushed her plate out in front of her so she could fold her arms on the table. "So do you kids have anything today at school? Any projects? Any boyfriends?" She directed the question to me, smiling a little.

To my left Dick almost choked on his pancake laughing.

"No, _Virginia_," Her face scrunched up. She _hated _it when I called her Virginia, but it wasn't like I would be calling her mom anytime soon. She was not my mother. "I don't have any projects, but Dick said something about having a project for his Earth and Environmental class."

Dick darkened a little. "Oh yeah." He moaned. "I _hate_ that class. It is so useless!"

I was preparing myself to block out the rest of his rant until I was excused to go upstairs and get ready when Virginia's eye gleamed.

"I don't know Artemis, Jason's a really nice boy. He seems to like you"

"Virginia," Anthony sounded scolding. "That Tabb boy is not getting anywhere near my daughter. He cuts class. I don't want her being around that."

I rolled my eyes sinking into my seat. Even Dick looked a little annoyed. "Excuse me, Jason is my friend."

Anthony sighs, standing up and gathering the dishes to take to the sink. "We know Artemis, we know." After depositing the plates he begins to pick up the counter space around where he had made the pancakes. "How about you two just go upstairs and get ready? We don't need you being late."

Dick and I got up, going towards the exit. Virginia rushed up beside us, kissing me on the cheek and Dick, who was even shorter than she was; one on the forehead. "Don't forget, you father is going to be picking you up this afternoon. I have a case debriefing that I can't miss but I'll be home about an hour after you." She smiled at us and let us go.

We climbed the stairs, me taking a left at the top and Dick a right. Me and Dick's rooms were the only things upstairs aside from the Jack and Jill bathroom connecting them. Mine was to the left, Dick's was right and the bathroom was forward.

I paused as I entered my room. _Everything _was green. The walls, the decoration, even the decretory paint on the doors that lead to my closet and to the bathroom. Sometimes I vaguely wondered why I used the color so often. It wasn't even my favorite color, gray was.

Actually, I remembered Dick saying something similar. His room was decorated with mostly red and black and a few gold accessories but his favorite color was green.

I continued on, marching into my closet. It was much more extravagant then it needed to be, more shoes on the shelves and clothes hanging in color coded sections then I could ever wear in an entire year. A huge mirror with a classy dark green and white frame around it took up an entire wall.

A pretty average looking girl with chopped black hair to her chin and smoky gray eyes stared back. Her features were sharp, clearing showing Asian heritage and her body was much more fit then the average teenager would ever really be. She was very pretty in a mysterious but fiery kind of way, not eye grabbing or attention seeking. She was almost beautiful. But her alluring gray eyes were blank, almost as if she had been hypnotized.

That was my reflection.

The dead look on my face almost made me sick.

Sometimes I wondered why I looked like that. Why I looked so weathered if I was so young. No one else seemed to notice it but Dick. The thirteen year old looked scarred himself, his blue eyes making me feel like he had seen more in his short life then a five hundred year old man ever could.

I shivered.

I shuffled over to one of the rows of clothes. Pulling some out, I shed my pajamas and put them on. I struggled into the skinny jeans (the _only_ kind of jeans Virginia would really let me buy- they show off my supposed figure) and threw on the lightly baggy dark green sweater-shirt. Reaching over to one of the shelves near the mirror I grabbed my brush and began to comb through my hair.

"Knock, knock." Dick announced, walking into my room and then my closet.

He had the tendency to never knock. Because of it I think he's already seen my undressed more times than my husband ever will.

"Oh, do _come in_." I drawled, dropping my arms to my sides. "What do you want?"

He was already dressed, and much too lightly for a November in Idaho if I might add, and smiling at me with that smile he gave when he wanted to do something to me. Most of the time it was my hair and make-up.

"Let me do your hair." He all but demanded, walking to my side and simultaneously proving me right. "You never do _anything_ with it, and you would look a lot better." He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the bathroom.

"Are you saying I don't look nice now?" But I followed anyway. Dick did always make me look less plain and more noticeable.

Dick pulled out the ottoman from under the vanity side of the counter. A flat iron, some make-up that Virginia had bought me but I never actually learned how to use and a few hair products she had got me as well laying out in from of me. He had prepared, knowing I would never say no.

"Sit down Darling," Dick cooed, using his insanely thick Transylvanian accent. It still sounded exactly the same way it had years ago when Anthony and Virginia had brought him home. "Let Richard take care of you."

I sat down crossing my arms and huffing just to prove the point that I didn't want to be there. Even if I sorta did.

"First off, you hate being called Richard. It makes you feel old, so shut up." I said, turning away when he began to spray some of the hair care formulas in my hair. "Second, stop using that accent. That was seven years ago, you don't even talk with it anymore." He smirked in the mirror. "Plus it's creepy."

Dick laughs, making me a little uncomfortable with how giddy he seems to be while having such a scalding object near my face.

"Whatever you say Artie."

"How do you even know so much about this stuff?" I ask, even though he's told me so many times before. I'm just waiting until his answer makes sense.

Dick shrugs, pulling my short hair through the two burning planks of metal. "My mom was a beautician."

"You were like seven."

"Six, actually."

I sighed, turning my head to the side to help him get finished faster. "Whatever."

We're silent for a few minutes; listening to the music coming from the little radio shoved in the corner of the counter. Dick seems to be enjoying himself thoroughly while I'm stuck almost hyperventilating whenever I feel like the straightener gets to close. There are a few times I want to slap his hand away, especially when we get to the make-up.

But, I survived and by the time I make it out of that bathroom, I didn't look so weathered anymore.

*V*^*V*^*V*^*V*

Anapine, Idaho

November 11 (Monday), 7:26 am MST

I snuggled deeper into the stupid black pea coat Anthony had bought me- well not totally stupid, the thing was a freaking fabric furnace. Something I was grateful for while the biting November winds bit into my cheek as I waited for my bus.

Our breath came out as steamy white puffs, floating together up into the atmosphere.

"You cold Artie?"

I glared at him, ducking my face as far into the collar of my coat as possible. Only to the bottom of my nose fit, but my chin and lips were pretty much at a sauna compared to the rest of my face.

"Shut up." My muffled voice snapped.

Dick was only wearing a medium jacket for protection, but was barely even shivering. It was ridiculous.

It was a pretty gloomy day. The air was frigid and the wind was relentless. A thick fog had settled over night, giving what a lot of people would consider the perfect weather for a zombie invasion. It was hard to see the houses around us- the fog even having made it hard for me to see Dick six feet in front of me when we were walking up to our stop.

Finally the bus pulled up, Dick trotting on board while I followed sluggishly behind. A blast of heating slapped me as I came inside, but the sting on my flushed red face was welcomed entirely.

We passed rows and rows of loud students and not so loud students as we made our way to the very back of the bus. Once we got there, much like how we do at the top of the stairs, I went into the left seat and he sat in the right.

I thudded next to a girl my age, who was smirking at me.

"Hey Mickey," I greeted, giving a small wave as I moved my bag around to fit more comfortably. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Mickey Long - whose real name was Mikayla Long - was quite the beautiful girl, but she had wiped all that away to become a rebel to anything her parents say. Her platinum blonde hair had been chopped off completely into a punk rock pixie cut with one bright blue and one neon green stripe through the front of her bangs. Mickey's eyes were the same sharp green as Virginia's, always outlined as dark and dramatically as possible.

Sometimes I felt like Mickey was Virginia's real daughter, which wouldn't actually be all that surprising. Especially since they look so similar, facial features and all.

Mickey narrowed her eyes, grabbing a strand of my short black hair and tugging on it. "You let Dick do your hair?" She snapped her tone pretty cold. After a second a smirk broke across her face. "Man, you crack easy these days don't you?"

"Aw, don't be so hard on her, Micks." Jason Tabb said. He was sitting diagonal from us on the outer edge of the seat, Tim Drakes sitting by the window. "Dickie here has the best baby face any self-respecting teenager could possibly ever have." He jerked a thumb back at Dick.

Jason was one of the most handsome boys at my school. His dark reddish brown hair was in a messy buzz cut and always made his dark green eyes just stand out. His features were insanely chiseled for a fifteen year old.

I smiled at him while Dick just rolled his eyes. "Excuse me for being adorable." He muttered.

"Excused." Tim chimed in, smiling a bit.

Unlike Jason, Tim had softer facial features. His sandy brown hair was left pretty long and, according to Mickey and Jason, he had the grisliest blue eyes they had ever seen. He always ignored them when they said that.

"So what's the gruel we have for lunch today?" Mickey asked, kicking her feet up to the top of the seat in front of us. No one ever sat there; they didn't want to be that close to our little clique.

"Would it kill you to remember the lunch schedule?" Tim asked, sending her a glance. "I mean, it's only been the exact same thing since junior high started."

Dick snorted. "Tim, no one calls it junior high anymore. Only old people."

"Oh yeah, 'Richard.'" I drawled. "_Old _people."

Tim shrugged with a small sideways grin on his face. "Well my dad still calls it junior high, so I guess I picked it up from him."

"Yes, Timmy, that's exactly what Dick meant by old people." Mickey snickered.

"Hey guys," I said, calling out for attention. "Where's Gracie? She never misses anything that starts with sch- and ends with –ool."

We all automatically looked at Dick, who acted flustered for a second. Acted being a key word. I knew Dick had no problem with large amounts of attention; the kid was born to have a spotlight on him. I don't know why he does it, pretending to be nervous when there is the focus of more than one person on him, but I've never asked. He probably has his reasons and I don't want to be snoopy or something.

"She had to go in early. The student council has a bunch of meeting all day. She'll be there at lunch though- Gracie managed to weasel out of that one." Dick answered.

I glanced out the window to my left as the conversation around me continued, attempting to gauge just how close to the school we were. The window was fogged from the heat on the inside of the bus and the cold on the outside. Every window on the bus was like that save the front windshield.

Standing up, I looked to the front of the bus. Our driver was having a pretty intense conversation with the two kids sitting behind him, his eyes darting up from the road to look in the mirror at them. He wasn't even paying attention to the road- much less the girl standing in the middle of it.

I couldn't exactly explain what was going through my brain the moments I saw the girl in the road wasn't even looking –_ moving _– but I heard my voice scream it over the white noise of the bus before I could even remembered thinking it.

"_There's a girl in the road!_"

The bus went silent and the driver snapped to attention. His hand slammed onto the horn, startling the redheaded girl in the middle of the road into looking up at them, her peach hand coming down from her temple.

There wasn't a trace of fear on her face.

The driver swerved the bus to the left and slammed onto the brakes, jolting all of us with it. I was still standing and Mickey had to grab my arm to keep me standing. But it was futile for the length of the bus couldn't turn fast enough, the side of it sliding right over where the girl was.

I gasped, expecting to hear a snapping or crunching noise as the pretty teen was crushed like a twig under the metric tons of our bus, but the sound never came.

Instead, as the bus continued to slid left on the icy road, an almost transparent image of the girl stood in the same spot. The bus slid right by her, her image going through the aisle as we slid.

When she went by me she stared at me intently, her semi-seeable freckles scrunching up, but it happened so fast I wouldn't be surprised if I imaged it.

Finally the bus tipped on its side for a moment before slanting back and balancing out. By now most of the occupants were screaming, excluding us in the back. They all exchanged glances while I couldn't move my gaze from where that girl had been staring at me only second ago.

The bus driver stood up, looking back at the terrified kids. "Is everyone alright?" The anonymous answer came out as a yes and the portly driver sighed in relief.

I felt my face burn and turned around the look at the back exit of the bus. The windows were fogged and water streaked, making it impossible to see out of them. It was impossible to see what had happened to the girl.

"What just happened?" One of the students in the middle of the bus called out, his voice shaking.

I made my move, throwing open the door and jumping out before Dick could grab me and pull me back in. I had to make sure that girl was alright. The emergency alarm screamed out in the bus, its high screech making my head drum.

"Hey wait!" The driver yelled after me, struggling to get his large torso through the small aisle. Dick did the same, half-way hanging out of his seat to try and see me out in the soup.

The frosty air hit me hard and I suppressed a shiver, squinting out into the fog. I couldn't make her out so I wandered towards where we had 'ran over' her just moments ago.

"Artemis!" A sweet girl voice that sounded naïve, well-meaning and so _so_ familiar to me called out from the girl's general direction. She sounded happy to see me, or something. I don't think she could actually _see_ me.

I followed it, pushing down why curiosity on why this girl I had never seen in my life knew my name. Just as an outline of a girl came into view a strong gust of wind and a blur flew by. I had to stop, shielding my eyes from dirt and melting snow particles that flew up into the air as the almost human shaped blur ran by.

When I lowered my arm the girl was gone.

"H-huh?!"

A large hand clapped onto my shoulder, dragging me backwards towards the direction I had just come from. "Miss Creek-Moore, I would appreciate it if you didn't leave my bus without permission. It's foggy out today, and we might not have found you." The bus driver continued to guide me back to our bus.

"But the girl!" I objected, waving my arms. "You just _ran her over!_ We need to find her, see if she's ok! Let go of me!" I struggled, but his grip was insanely strong, almost robotic. That scared me.

We halted right by the bus and I could see Dick standing on his toes trying to see what was happening. All the other students were surprising mellow, just sitting down silently. The panicked mood that had engulfed us all seconds ago was gone, replaced with still air.

The bus driver turned to me. "What girl?" He asked, raising a thick, bushy eyebrow at me. "Miss Creek-Moore, I would appreciate if you didn't make up ridicules stories as to why you exited my bus. Do I need to call your parents?"

I froze, looking at him stunned. _WHAT? _How could he not remember that? There were marks on the road for Pete's sake! I stared at him a moment, his blank gaze making me feel more exposed for some reason. Swallowing thickly, I nodded.

"Yes sir."

A smile broke off on the driver's face, his solemn, blank expression erased with a simple phrase. "Great! Now let's get to school, we don't want you kids being late."

He turned away, squeezing back through the small aisle, exchanging happy words with some of the students- as if that didn't just happen. I stared at the normal mood that seemed to flow back into the bus before shuffling up the two small steps and sliding back beside Mickey.

Dick gave me a worried expression, looking around the bus as insolent chatter started up again. Tim and Jason were talking vividly about something that had happen a few days ago I was to shaken to care about while Mickey just carried on, poking away at her phone.

**_Like nothing happened._**

Dick leaned over to me, a rare spark of fear in his big blue eyes. "What just happened Artemis?"

For once I didn't see the mature, smart-ass, Transylvanian teenage boy I had gotten to know over the years. I saw a confused little boy who was actually asking for my help.

My brain racked for something explanation, for something comforting to say. I mean, Dick was pretty much my younger (smarter) brother. I, as the older sister, had the job to comfort him when things went wrong. It was my _job_, and obligation I took on when I associated myself with him. But I couldn't form the words. I needed comforting myself.

"I have no idea." I breathed.

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_So what do you think? Did I capture the sibling reactions and friendships? How was my Artemis first person? I wrote a one-shot from her perspective, but I feel like it was much worse then this. Maybe this was terrible too. I can't really tell, but please, criticism is always accepted!_

_Also, I know that Dick isn't from Transylvania and his Mom wasn't a beautician. It's all part of the plan guys, just trust me here._

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**Review? :)**


	2. Diana King and Dinah Lace

9/7/2013

_New chapter yay!_

_Ok, if you haven't read the updated version of the first chapter, I beg you too. The plot changed drastically and if you don't read the updated version things might not make much sense. So just go back and read that really quick before you read this chapter, alright? Thanks!_

_I think I should say that I have a poll on my page for the pairings in this story. I normally don't do pairings, because they can run away some people, but in this I'm just going to chance it. So I warn you now, I won't update until the poll has at least ten responses. I need to know the pairings to continue. So if you could, go to my page when you finish this chapter and answer it!_

_Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed! Your support is greatly appreciated!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

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**Identity Default**

**Chapter 2: Diana King and Dinah Lace**

Anapine, Idaho 

November 11 (Monday), 11:34 am MST 

"Can anyone repeat to me where the Native Americans migrated from?" Ms. King, my American History teacher, asked. She turned to look at us, her striking blue eyes scanning the slacked jaws and glazed eyes that stared back at her.

Diana King was a fairly young teacher with the best complexion I have ever seen. She had long black hair she always kept up in a tight bun, and always wore the same pair of wire glasses. Ms. King never dressed in anything less formal than a button up blouse, suit jacket and matching pencil skirt. She had a no-nonsense attitude and didn't take well to students not paying attention.

"_Pshh,_" Mickey hissed, flicking a little folded sheet of paper at me. In landed in my lap, and I sent a glance Mickey's way. The blonde just pointed to the curl of paper.

I rolled her eyes, but reached down and unraveled it anyway. Hurriedly scrawled crookedly across the slip was texting language in Mickey's neat cursive. I stared at it a moment, translating what she had written. When I did I frowned.

_Wut is bggig u? Smtg hppn w/t the wth at hm?_ What is bugging you? Something happen with the witch at home?

I bit the corner of my lip, thinking out my options of lying or telling the truth. I was in my last class of the day - or half-day due to a new program the school was trying out where we had annual half days every certain amount of weeks – other than lunch which is the very last thing I do today and hadn't heard a single word about our bus running over that girl. It was almost as if everyone had forgotten about it; even Jason, Mickey and Tim who were there when it happened.

So I had two options. I could lie; say that it was something with Virginia to give me time to come up with less of a half-assed answer. Or I could tell the truth and get called crazy by my unofficial best friend for the rest of my high school career.

Well, Mickey _did_ always see through my lies faster than I liked.

I frowned again, snatching my pencil of the top of my desk and scribbling down my answer. Maybe Mickey wouldn't tease me too badly about it. She normally lets things go if she sees they really bother someone.

I had just finished writing down my response - which was pretty much what had happened on the bus that everyone seemed to have no recollection of for some reason – when someone cleared their throat above me.

Ms. King's slender but surprisingly strong hand snapped down and grabbed the note from my lap. Her cold blue eyes stared me down. The entire class seemed attentive now, but only because something more interesting than the stupid lesson was happening.

"Artemis, I think it would be wise for you to not write notes on anything but my lessons in this classroom, do you understand?" Her voice always sounded weird when it was addressing me or Dick, like she had to force herself to be strict.

I nodded. "Yes Ms. King, I'm sorry." I apologized, forcing myself to ignore Mickey's snickers behind her.

Mr. King nodded, opening the note and reading through what was inside. She sent me a glance when she was finished filled with an emotion I couldn't detect. She probably thought I was crazy now. Great.

"I want you stay come here tomorrow after school. You'll be helping me grade my papers, understand?" Ms. King said sternly, slipping the note into the pocket of her dark lavender jacket. "As soon as the bell rings, gather your things and come straight here. No socializing in the halls, do you understand?"

"I understand completely." I automatically responded, felling my face heat up a little at the other student's badly hidden smiles and snickers. A bit of anger coursed through my veins, just begging me to do something about it, but I squashed it down.

"Good." Diana King primly replied, turning back to the board.

Seven minutes later the bell for first lunch dismissal rang and I left the classroom as quickly as possible, Mickey right on my heels. I was almost half way down the hall when she caught up with me.

Mickey jostled her books to the right so she could balance then a little better. "So what did you write?" She asked, weaving her way through the throng of other students ready for the end of the day while staying close to me.

"What?"

Mickey rolled her eyes, sticking her foot out a little to the left and making a boy with acne all over his face stumble a little. "On the note. Y'know, the one you got caught writing in the middle of class?"

I sighed. "It's stupid, don't even worry about it."

She snorted in response. "Well you're involved, of course it's stupid." Her face turned serious and concerned; a strange combination on her. Her eyebrows were raised slightly, the ring on the left one shining in the florescent lighting. "You can tell me anything, y'know? I'm not gonna spill it to Jason or Dick or anyone."

"I know." I said a little quietly. "It's just-" I shook my head, the realization of how crazy it would actually sound when I said it out loud coming to me. I bit back what I was going to say, taking a safer route instead. "I've been feeling a little under the weather lately, and I just it's getting to me."

Mickey smirked, rolling her eyes in a relieved manner. "That's it? God, you had me thinking it was actually something serious. It's totally normal to get sick Artemis, even vampires get sick."

I swatted at her arm. "I'm not a vampire! Just because Dick's from Transylvania and I live with him doesn't make us vampires."

"Yeah, but did you hear his accent when he first came here? That was like an authentic vampire accent. It's the only explanation." Mickey insisted, leading me through a crowd to the outside eating areas.

Not many people were out there because the remains of the fog that were still lurking about, but a good bit of the freshmen were enjoying eating out in out heated outdoor picnic area.

Me and Mickey sat down at our usual table, Gracie sitting across from us in her regular seat.

If I could use one word to describe Gracie Perez it would be beautiful. She was so pretty, it was unfair. Gracie had the hypnotizing Hispanic good looks with long dark hair, warm brown eyes and the richest tone of coco skin you could probably ever find on a teenage girl without it being covered with thick amounts of acne or make-up.

Gracie was a sweet, over-achiever just like Dick. She was the president of the student council, and in just about any other extra-curricular activity that our school offers. I used to be best friends with her when she was little, but we drifted apart during middle school. Then she started dating Dick, and we became close again.

Not as close as me and Mickey were, but still pretty close.

Gracie smiled at us, getting another forkful of salad from the tub ware container holding her salad. Neither me or Mickey had brought lunch seeing no point because we would be home in about twenty minutes.

"Hello." She greeted happily in her soft voice. She just naturally sounded like a nice person. "Sorry I wasn't on the bus this morning. Student council is more demanding of my free time then I had thought."

Mickey waved it off. "No biggie, nothing happened anyway."

I gapped for a moment before snapping my jaw shut. _Nothing happened my ass._

"Oh well that's good." Gracie waved over Tim and Dick, who had Earth Sciences together. They always came to lunch together because of it.

They came over, taking the usual seats. Dick sat beside Gracie with Tim was on the other side of Dick. The only empty spot was on my other side me where Jason would normally sit.

Today he had some meet-up with one of the sport coaches (though I have no idea how anyone could ever play sports when it was this cold outside) and wouldn't be coming to lunch.

I sometimes found our seating arrangements funny. Mickey, Jason and me on one side; Gracie, Tim and Dick on the other. The better, over achieving half of us on one side and the rambunctious, wilder of us on the other.

"When did Anthony say he was coming to pick us up?" Dick asked. He hadn't brought a lunch either, but Tim had.

"After school?" I said a little unsure. "I don't know the exact time, but his second class does end early today. Actually I think it already has, so he's probably on his way." I shrugged.

Anthony was a professor at a college about thirty minutes out of town. I don't remember what he taught, because I never really cared, but it was one of the easier classes because most kids took it. I remember him complaining how he got all the slacker students.

Mickey groaned. "Oh you guys are ditching us? For your Dad?"

"He's not our Dad." We both said sharply. Me and Dick exchanged a glance and I sighed. "He _adopted _us; he is _not_ our Dad in any way shape or form."

Tim made a face while Mickey held her hands up in defense. "Alright, sorry, I'm sorry. He's not your Dad, got it."

Gracie finished off the last of her salad and smiled at us all. I blinked, having just noticed how she was leaned towards Dick, her arm against his. "So when are you two going?"

The loud beeping of a car horn made us look over. A silver Volkswagon Jetta was at the front of the parking lot, Anthony sticking his head out the window.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

I stood up to go, ignoring the glares from the freshmen around us who got a little spooked by a stupid car horn. Dick leaned towards Gracie and pecked her on the cheek before standing up to go with me.

We waved, both Dick and Gracie's faces becoming red at Mickey's whistles. As we walked towards the parking lot I elbowed him, grinning.

"That was absolutely adorable. It makes me want to pinch your cheeks or something."

He waved it off, the pink on his cheeks already pretty much gone. "At least I _have _a girlfriend."

"Are you suggesting I should find myself a girlfriend?"

Dick smirked, shoving his hands in the pockets of his much to thin jacket. I couldn't resist a shiver as a particularly strong gust of wind blasted us. Suddenly Dick's smirk fell and a frown took up his entire face.

"Artemis, why do you think nobody remembers what happened? That was so not astrous, and I don't know how you could ever forget something like it." His eyebrows furrowed together. "Astrous? Astrous? Astrous." He repeated the word a few times, seemingly pleased with it.

I was about to ask him whatever that meant when I ran into what felt like a brick wall. I bounced back onto my butt, my pretty much empty bag flying out of my grip. Some papers fluttered down around me, one landing right on top of my head.

"Sorry Ms. Lace," Dick apologized. I felt the paper on top of my head and held back out for the teacher to take it. "We weren't paying any attention."

A strong hand grabbed my arm, pulling me up to my feet. I blinked, being greeted with the semi-smiling faces of Ms. Lace and Ms. King. Dick handed me my backpack and I slung it over my shoulder.

Dinah Lace was one of our two gym teachers. She was _very _pretty with long wavy blonde hair and scrutinizing blue eyes. She was a hard core teacher and the one most students dreaded getting. I think she's Dick's gym teacher, but maybe not.

Both Diana King and Dinah Lace were close teachers, having both joined the staff at the beginning of the year. I'm pretty sure they were friends or neighbors or something, because they always carpooled together to get to school.

"Where are you kids going?" Ms. King asked, smoothing down her dark lavender skirt. Her voice took the strange pitch it did whenever she spoke to us. "Your lunch period hasn't ended yet."

Ms. Lace, ever the less strict of the two, smiled slightly. It was bluntly forced. "Calm down Diana, there is only two minutes left and I see Mr. Moore's car out in the parking lot. You two are free to go." She waved her hand towards the parking lot and we curved around them.

I breathed deeply when I heard a quiet argument behind us, but was unable to make out the words. I squeezed one of the straps of my bag, turning around to see them. Dinah Lace caught my eye and I froze.

_Kid Flash: Fail_

_ I laughed, Robin practically rocking on his heels beside me. Aqualad shook his head, crossing his arms similar to how Superboy had. Miss Martian smiled encouragingly at him and Kid Flash sent her a wink._

_ I stopped laughing and rolled my eyes._

_ Black Canary reached down, taking Kid Flash's hand and pulling him to his feet. A ghost of a smile was on her lips as she put on her jacket again. Kid Flash rubbed his arm gingerly._

_ "I was going easy on you! _Artemis!_"_

"Artemis!"

I blinked; staring back at concerned faces of Dick and Anthony. I straighten out my hands, them having started to ache from being balled so tightly into fists and being pressed against the cold, rough concrete.

"What happened?" Dick asked. A crinkle was forming between his eyebrows. "We got to the car and you just collapsed."

Anthony was squatted beside me. "Sweetie, are you ok?"

I nodded, my brain suddenly feeling slow. "Y-yeah, I'm totally fine." I shakily got to me feet, tugging open the car door. "Let's just get home already. I'm tired."

Dick sent me a look and I gulped. That was his _'_I'm not stupid and totally know that was a lie. Don't try and play stupid, we're talking about it later whether you like it or not._'_

We got into the back of the car, neither of us really caring to move any of Anthony's stuff out of the front. Dick sent me another look, but I just felt too drained to care. It was a struggle just to put my seat belt on.

I leaned against my adoptive brother, closing my eyes. He didn't seem to care, just staring out the window as the scenery went by. We relaxed, knowing we had a bit before we got home.

I'm not sure how long it took, but I fell asleep. I feel asleep with a sweet voice in my head.

_'Artemis, don't worry. We're here.'_

* * *

_So the plot thickens. Dun, dun dun!_

_I'm going to do my best to keep filler out of my story, but it's just so hard! I really want you to know what's going on and how Artemis and Dick's life seems to function on a normal basis, so if you hate filler I'm really sorry!_

_I have the plot planned out day by day and from what I have planned so far I'm beginning to wonder if this will be as short as I thought it would be._

_Also, I'm actually pretty surprised no one said anything about Tim and Jason. I mean COME ON! Jason Tabb? Tim Drakes? I can't exactly get anymore obvious with those names!_

**MAILBAG**

katsai25: Haha, well hang on. I'm going to draw that out as long as possible, but don't worry! I'll throw in a few hints here and there. And your welcome! I'm glad you like it.

randomkitty101: No! Not the Joker! ;) Can I just say you are one of my total favorite reviewers?

THE DARK ARCHER15: Thank you! As for ideas, I'm not really sure. I always have trouble helping other people with these things but for me they just sort of pop up. I hope you understand.

Sw4gging: Your wish has been granted!

arrowflash: Here you go! Updates make the world go round!

Guest: I have a poll for the pairings in this story up on my profile, so you can vote for them if you want. Every vote counts!

* * *

**Review? :)**


	3. Freckle Face

9/12/2013

_As I have promised! An update for you all~!_

___I've been getting these out pretty quickly compared to my other stories (Ahhhh, other stories! Why u so hard 2 update?!) so I think I should be giving myself a metaphorical pat on the back._

_I was going to post this two days ago, but my sister came upstairs and stole the computer so she could write a lab report for chemistry. And then I got sick. I'm still sick at the moment, so it's a little difficult to look out for spelling and grammar crap- please forgive me. If all of you could be the fantastic readers you totally are and point out some mistakes I would love you forever._

_ Thanks to everyone who voted in my poll, the winner was pretty anonymous. To my word, this story is going to feature the most voted for couple, so I'll start incorporating that into the next few chapters. I'm still a little freaked out about writing some romance, so I'm really hoping I don't totally ruin the story with it. Maybe someone with experience can give me advice? 'Cuz that'd be super awesome._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

* * *

**Identity Default**

**Chapter 3: Freckle Face**

Anapine, Idaho 

November 12 (Tuesday), 12:18 am MST 

_Artemis, don't worry. We're here._

I gasped, darting straight up in my bed. My bedroom was pitch black, all of the shades of green impossible to see in the dark. The lights were on in the bathroom, making a ribbon of pale yellow on the wall above me.

I took a deep breath, leaning back on the mountain of pillows behind me. A closed my eyes for a moment, trying to remember what exactly my dream was about. Because whatever it was, it was the reason my heart felt like it was beating a million miles per hour in my chest.

Even though my dream was clouded and impossible to remember, that vision I had in the parking lot wasn't. At all. It was as clear as crystal, almost like a memory. But it couldn't be; I had never even met those people before. Even if that 'Black Canary' woman looked a lot like Ms. Lace, it didn't mean I knew her.

"You ok Artemis?"

I screeched, falling off the side of my bed and onto the floor. I flailed around for a little bit, just trying to gather my barings. Recollecting my breath, I turned towards my computer chair Dick was no doubt sitting in. I was glad it was dark, I was sweaty and my face was a bright hot red. I didn't want him to see me like that.

"You could warn a girl! What are you doing in my room at-" I looked up and read the glowing dark red numbers that seemed to be floating in the blackness. "12:18?"

Dick reached over, flicking on the green lamp on my dark wooden desk. Its green shade cast an almost sickly hue on his evenly tanned Transylvanian features. Dick just shrugged nonchalantly. "You were talking in your sleep and I wanted to see if you were ok."

My face went blank. "What was I saying?"

Dick hesitated, slumping in the chair a little. "I couldn't understand what you were saying. But you didn't sound scared of anything, so I don't think it was a nightmare. I just came to check on you, make sure you weren't wetting the bed or something." The attempt to joke didn't work and Dick sunk further down.

I sighed, climbing back up onto my bed. I crossed my legs in the lotus position and pulled the dark emerald comforter around my shoulders. The think blanket's weight suddenly felt thousands of pounds heavier, but it was always freezing in my room at night so I dealt with it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Dick raised his head to look at me. With his analyzing blue gaze that felt like it was dissecting my thoughts. "About this morning, with the bus? Do you want to talk about it?"

Dick looked around the room, eyeing all of the green decorations. "I didn't totally imagine that did I?" I made and unhappy face of confirmation. He shook his head. "Not really, well now at least. I just don't want to think about it anymore. It was so not astrous."

We sat in content in the quiet of the night before Dick spoke again.

"What about in the parking lot? Do _you_ want to tell me what happened then?"

"Not particularly."

"If you say so."

I gave him a sideways glance. "What does it even mean?" His eyebrows rose. "Astrous, you keep saying it."

He smiled, folding his hands in his lap. "A _dis_aster is when something goes wrong. So if dis means things go wrong, that means that aster means things go right." His grin grew into a thoughtful smirk. "Same with _dis_traught. Traught is when you feel awesome about it."

I nodded slowly, my eyebrows drew closely together. We sat silent for a moment, Dick's expression going back to brooding. The way his face hardened - eyebrows pressed together and the corners of his lips turned downwards - it made me feel as if I had saw it before. Just on someone else's face. Maybe someone older.

The silence suddenly felt thick and I had no idea why.

"Did you go see Gracie at the library after school?" I asked, not just to get some type of conversation going but because I was curious. As soon as we had got home I had locked myself in my room.

"No, I canceled." A splash of relief hit me that I couldn't explain. "I'm just a little overwhelmed right now, you know? I just wanted some time to think."

I nodded, patting the spot beside me. "Come here, that seat sucks and your butt is probably hurting by now. Especially if you were creeping around my room all night like I know you were." I held open my comforter with just enough space for him as an invitation. Dick puckered his lips for a moment before climbing off the chair.

After a minute we were both snuggled beside each other, his arm around my shoulder because he knew what a temperature wimp I was.

"I've seen her before." He said finally. I looked over to my right see him with his mouth in a dead set mix between a smile and a grimace and pressing two fingers over his eyes.

Sometimes I felt like I knew him better with his eyes covered.

"Who?" I'm not sure if it's sad or not for a fifteen year old girl to admit she was afraid of the answer.

"Megan, the girl we ran over." He said, laying his head on my shoulder. I laid my head on top of his. "Her name is M'gann. You said so in your sleep."

I swallowed thickly, closing my eyes.

*V*^*V*^*V*^*V*

Anapine, Idaho 

November 12 (Tuesday), 3:38 pm MST 

That morning Virginia drove us to school in her fancy convertible (which I don't know why we own one when it's pretty much always somewhere between 31 degrees or 46 degrees), dropping us off a good twenty minutes earlier then the bus would get us there.

Virginia had promised she would come pick us up after school, but warned us that she would probably be late. Not that it was surprising in any way. It hadn't taken long for either of us to understand that Virginia was late to a lot of things when she and Anthony adopted us.

So there we were, school having ended, sitting on the curb at the front. Out bus had left a few minutes earlier, leaving us alone. Or, I thought it had.

Dick seemed to have noticed her before I did, but he hadn't even blinked when he did. It took me a few minutes longer, but by then she was already walking over.

Ms. Lace made her move, strutting towards us. I looked at Dick, trying to see how he was gauging the situation, but his face was stretched out in his fake smile that was mostly reserved for teachers.

"Hello Ms. Lace!" Dick greeted, his voice just sounding to_ happy_. I had to stop myself from crinkling my nose. "How have you been today?"

Dinah Lace smiled back. "I'm good, thank you for asking." She turned to me. "Artemis, the office called you in. A teacher wants to see you, not sure who. And Dick, I want to talk to you in my office for a moment, if you wouldn't mind."

We both nodded, separating to go in different entrances of the school. I waved at him before turning left towards the office entrance and he went right, towards Ms. Lace's office.

I never liked taking the office door because no students were ever over there. It was like an abandoned wasteland of old school property.

I wandered through the stone courtyard, looking at the garden the seniors from last year had planted in the spring. All the flowers were dried out and the color drained from their petals. The only plant in the courtyard that was still alive was a huge oak tree with more hearts filled with initials carved onto its trunk then even the bathrooms. The oak was a prefect climbing tree with low branches that were easy to reach and sturdy enough to hold both Dick and my weight together on the same branch. I know, we've tested it.

When I was in middle school I used to sneak off campus and climb that tree, just watching the high schoolers go by. Back then the office door was used often, but now it was as if no one knew where it was.

Not paying any attention and counting on the fact that no one was ever at the office entrance, I bumped into someone, the results being the same as yesterday when I ran into Diana King. However, this person didn't feel as if I had just smacked my face into a brick wall, just a pretty toned chest instead.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" A male voice apologized. By the awkwardly flailing pitch he sounded as if was still going through some terrible puberty. "Are you ok?"

I rubbed my arm where it had slammed into the little metal gate they had surrounding the garden. I shook my head, clearing my hands of the dirt from the ground. "No, no. It's alright, I'm totally fine."

The teen above me stiffened, and I looked up.

I'm pretty sure I would be lying if I said that he didn't look even a little bit cute. He had fiery red hair spiked up with big emerald eyes staring me down in surprise and shock. Freckles absolutely _covered_ his face, giving him a slightly childish appearance. I felt like that childish face worked well on him.

He was wearing a thick, long sleeved, yellow shirt with a strange symbol and a bright red jacket. A red circle with a lightning bolt sat boldly in the middle of the yellow shirt.

I stared at him. He stared back.

"Aren't you going to offer to help me up or something?" I snapped after a moment, becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

The redhead blinked before snapping his teeth together. "O-oh yeah, r-right." He stuttered, grabbing my hands roughly and dragging me to my feet. "Sorry again, it's just I…" He trailed off, looking over my shoulder at something.

I raised an eyebrow, turning around to try and see what had caught his attention but nothing was there. Just some juniors clustered together going across the parking lot towards a large pick-up truck they all most likely carpooled to school in.

He continued to stare at the empty spot for a moment, his expressions changing almost as if he was having a very intense conversation with someone even though no one was there. I shifted, clearing my throat loudly. His reaction was immediate, jumping up into the air and staring at me as if I had just shot off a gun right in his face.

The boy's expression turned helpless for a second, as if he was unsure of what to do before he threw his hand out in my direction. "Wally West." I gave him a look before slowly taking it.

"Artemis Creek-Moore."

Wally frowned. "Creek?" He murmured unhappily.

I narrowed my eyes at him, pursing my lips a little. "What? Were you expecting someone else?" I said accusingly, taking a step back and crossing my arms.

He held up his hands in defense and I noticed freckles were spotted around the back of them as well. "No! I just- I mean I was," He stopped, tilting his head as if listening to someone speak and blinking thoughtfully. "I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I just have a…friend, named Artemis and you look like her. We've been looking around for her and I was pretty sure she moved into this town."

"I'm the only person in the entire county with the name Artemis." I deadpanned. I'm pretty sure the frown scetched onto my face wasn't a pretty one.

"Oh," His disappointment sounded fake. "That sucks." I don't think it actually did.

"So _Wally,_" I was starting to wonder if that was his real name or just one he used to commit crimes with. I glanced around to see if anyone was nearby. I really wanted a witness in case the psycho tried to murder me or something. "Where are you from? I've never seen you around before."

Wally stepped back, blinking again. His expression turned friendlier after a second, although it seemed reluctant. "I'm from Key- Central City. Yeah, Central City." He nodded.

I had to stop my eyebrows from going up to my hairline at that. What was this guy's problem? "Is that a small city or something? I've never heard of it." Because I don't think it actually exists.

His expression turned to shock but he put it down quickly. "You've never heard of Central City?!" He pretty much exclaimed. "Well, if you've never heard of Central, what about Flash, the superhe-"

"Artemis! There you are!" Mrs. Holly, our school's over weight student manager in the front office, called out happily. She waddled towards me and 'Wally,' a bright smile on her face.

Mrs. Holly was always happy; it was almost like her brain had been programed to always have some kind of joy on her face. She was always volunteering at our local animal center and just loving everything that breaths the same air as she does.

She panted a little when she made it beside us. "I was getting worried! Ms. Lace said she sent you a good while ago, but I see you were fine! Was this handsome young man accompanying you?"

I shot a glance towards the redhead and he nodded his head a little. "Y-yes, Mrs. Holly." I voice was weaker than I had expected, but she didn't notice. I'm pretty sure she was too busy thinking about which kind of puppies were the most fun to hug.

Mrs. Holly clasped her hands together, smiling. "Aw, how sweet. It's good to see you're finally getting yourself a boyfriend Artemis!" She looked at Wally. "Artemis is a girl good now, don't go breaking her heart, you got me?"

Wally nodded, putting a hand on my shoulder. "I think I should go now Artemis. I'll see you soon."

To my regret I could tell he was serious. I was seriously hoping he wouldn't get to keep that promise, I didn't think my mental state could be able to handle being around someone so crazy any longer.

Wally ran off, a little faster than I thought humanly possible, leaving me and Mrs. Holly by the old oak tree.

"This way, dearie." Mrs. Holly said sweetly, waddling back to the office door.

I followed; sending a glance back towards where Wally had went. Mrs. Holly held the door open for me, smiling widely as I went inside. Sitting in one of the wooden chairs that were propped up against the wall in a row, Diana King waved at me. She was smiling one of those teacher smiles that teachers always got when they didn't know what else to do.

"Ms. King," I greeted, giving a little wave. I suddenly froze remembering what had happen in her class just the day before.

_ "I want you stay come here tomorrow after school. You'll be helping me grade my papers, understand?"_

I had to bite back a groan.

Diana King stood from her chair, dusting the nonexistent dirt from her tan slacks. She waved me closer and I crept carefully, preparing myself in case I was in store for being yelled out for almost ditching her.

Instead of having angry words shoved in my face, a ring of keys were. She dropped them in my hands, pointing at the red and silver, our school colors, one that was on top.

"That is the key to my door, unlock it and wait for me. I will be there in a second; I just have to finish copying these sheets." I looked over at the buzzing and shaking printer, seeing page after page fly out into the tray below. "Do not touch anything, understand?"

I nodded. "Got it, Ms. King. I'll wait for you." I paused a second to see if she had anything else to say to me, but she just waved me off, stalking over to the printer and beginning to count the copies.

The walk to my American History class was just like the one to the office entrance- completely lacking of any people interaction at all. Only without the terrible cold temperatures and freaky redheaded boys creeping around the school yard. I stuck the red and silver key in the door fiddling them around a second before finally getting the click to say the door had unlocked.

I shoved it open and walked inside, flicking on a few lights as I did. I tossed my bag onto a chair in the front row, jumping up onto the actual desk to sit.

Now let me tell you, I tried to wait patiently. I _really_ did, but do you know how boring sitting alone in a classroom you've been spending hours a day for at least four months? It's hard, and really, what was Diana King expecting me to do while she spent twenty minutes running copies up in the office? Homework? Yeah right.

I hopped down, my boots clicking on the floor as I landed. Sticking my head out the door and checking both directions to make sure Ms. King wasn't there, I went over to her desk looking around at its contents. So far it was the only thing in the entire classroom that I hadn't completely memorized and the only thing that might entertain me for a bit.

The first few drawers were nothing special, just extra paper and a few of the quizzes I was supposed to be helping grade. The next draw down was a little more interesting, being filled to the brim with confiscated cell-phones. That didn't interest me long, but it did help me notice the drawer on the very bottom right side of her desk was locked.

For a minute or two I poked around with the lock, trying to see if there was any way I could unlock it without totally trashing Diana King's desk when the ring of keys caught my eye. I had left them in the door, sticking out from the worn silver knob. Giving the locked drawer one last pull to make absolutely sure it was locked, I clambered over to the door and grabbing the keys.

Crouching behind the desk again I tried the red and silver one that had unlocked the door first. When that didn't work I leaned back and stared at the ring for the moment. There were at least nineteen keys on the ring, and there was no way I would be able to try them all before Diana King got back.

I sighed, arching my back a little, and began shifted through each key, holding the ones I knew wouldn't work in my palm to separate them from the rest. It took my about half a minute before only three keys left. A red, a white and a blue.

They were thin, only about a third of a regular key's width, and the white one seemed to be missing the lines that were typically carved on the sides of it.

I tried each one singly, none of them even completely filling up the key hole, let alone unlocking it. I groaned, releasing the bundle of random keys that I had declared nonworking and squeezing the red, white and blue key together in my hand. I closed my eyes, squeezing them tighter just because.

**Click.**

My eyes popped open in surprise, my palm doing the same. The three keys had connected together, making a long stripe of the American colors- and forming a complete key. I blinked, twisting it around a second before decided to go with it. Magnetic keys were a thing. I think.

Sending one last careful towards the still opened door (why didn't I close it or something?) I stuck the colorful key into the lock, trying not to be completely surprised when it fit without any problems. I turned it to left and pulled on the handle, trying the other direction when the door remained locked. It worked this time and I smiled slightly as I tugged open the dresser.

"What the…?" I stared at the contents in confusion.

There was a tiara and a golden lasso staring right back at me. The tiara was made of what looked like real gold with a red star haughtily sitting in the middle, the lasso made of what looked like golden silk.

A soft golden glow illuminated off of the lasso, the tiara sparkling in the golden light. I reached in, brushing my fingertips against the red star tentatively.

"-Of _course_ I will be present. This meeting is too important, and I think she is starting to remember. I am not sure about him, but his old instincts are kicking in without him noticing. We cannot let this pass, no matter what." Diana King's voice wafted in from down the hall, the clicking of her black pumps softened by the distance.

My eyes doubled in size and I shoved the drawer shut. I passed the set of keys from one hand to another for a second, my mind so panicked I had no idea what to do. Finally my fingers stopped twitching and, before I had any idea what I was doing, dragged off the red, white and blue key from the loop. I shoved it in my jacket pocket, with a shaking inhale. Darting over to the desks, I threw myself on top of the one desk in the front row I had been sitting on earlier just as Ms. King came into the classroom.

"Then I will see you there." Diana King said with an affirmative nod. "Of course, goodbye Kaldur." She pulled the phone from her ear, ending the call.

I'm glad she didn't bother to look up at me as she put it in her purse, I feel like she would be able to see just how fast my heart is beating. Which was pretty fast, considering I just did something that had a chance of getting me expelled. Ugh. Dick would throw a fit.

"I am sorry Artemis," She apologized, looking up at me. "I had a business call that took longer than expected. I just guess that your ride will be here soon if not already." She glanced at the clock with a sigh. "I have taken enough of your time."

I nodded hesitantly; the key burning a hole through my pocket and making me almost tremble with nervousness. What if she noticed?

"I suppose I can count this as your punishment for disturbing my class." Ms. King mused, going over to her desk and pulling open the drawer that I had opened earlier that was full of papers needing to be graded. "You are free to go."

"O-ok," I croaked, grabbing my bag and throwing it over my shoulder. I paused at the doorway, my brain telling me to just run out the door. But I didn't, I tossed the ring of keys onto her desk. "Here's your keys."

Diana King looked up at me, barley even sparing a second to look at the ring. "Oh, thank you. I had forgotten I gave them to you." She straightened from her crouch and smoothed down her slacks. "Have a good day Artemis."

I swallowed, shoving my hands into my pockets just to make sure she couldn't see the key. "You too Ms. King."

Diana King didn't even look up as I sprinted out into the hall.

* * *

_I could say the plot thickens again, but that'd be unoriginal. _

_So, we get some more characters hinted/introduced eh? What do you think? Subtle enough for Artemis to not notice, or blaring red flags? I'd love the opinions._

**MAILBAG**

randomkitty101: No worries, I'm not accusing, just surprised. I thought I'd have people being all 'Duuuuuuuude, Tim and Jason- woah.' But nope! Thank you for saying you love me story! You have absolutely no idea how great that makes my little sick self feel right now!

Lord-of-Change: Haha, maybe that's the idea. I wouldn't say gold though, maybe bronze or silver.

RollingUpHigh: I don't know, were they? Diana and Dinah will be explained soon enough and I'm throwing in a few hints. So far the biggest most obvious was the phone call, so maybe that gave you some insight.

arrowflash: The mystery couple will be revealed soon, and I have a feeling you won't be disappointed. As for Artie's hair, she will be growing it out, but that will most defiantly come with time. I only cut it to make it more distinguished from her 'old self'- if you caught my drift.

HelloMegan: Thank you! (multiple exclamation marks to show my love for this review) I'm trying to keep the plot mysterious so people won't know what's going on right away, and by this I assume it's working. And I assure you, I will make you work for that information. ;D

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**Review? :)**


	4. Freaky Tuesday

10/4/2013

_Right in the punctuational updates..._

_So hey guys...how's the month been? Ehhhh_

_Ok, so I have a really good reason for taking so long to update- really I do. I have a lot of reasons, but I'll stick with the main. Two words. _Math One.

_For anyone who doesn't know what that means (which might be a lot of people, idk) it's basically the high school course eighth graders can take that consists of algebra one, geometry and all of your nightmares. As I've stated in an Authors Note in a different story of mine, math is my absolute worst subject. I hate it, I don't get it, and I cry over all of those lost to it in the middle of the night as I fall asleep. My teacher is awesome, but my class is not. It's basically been engulfing my life just so I can make sure I have either an A or B in the class._

_So, really, I'm eating myself up inside for being such a jerk to anyone who has been wanting an update to this story. It took forever to update and just to top it all off and make me even more of a dick, it's soooo much shorter then usual. I hope you guys can forgive me!_

_I think I wailed and sobbed enough in this Authors Note. On with the chapter I guess._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

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**Identity Default**

**Chapter 4: Freaky ****Tuesday**

Anapine, Idaho 

November 12 (Tuesday), 6:31 pm MST

"So what? You took it?" Jason questioned, looking up at me from across the table. "Just like that?"

I shifted onto the bench to sit, my side beginning to ache from having been pressed into the edge of the wooden picnic table for so long while I leaned against the table. My hands drifted over the magazine below me, my eyes glued to the page.

I didn't actually care about the stupid Hollywood scandal about some actress having an affair with a country singer when she was married, I just didn't want to look at Jason.

He, like everyone else in this damn town, had some kind constant flat gaze and it kinda freaked me out. Enough to make eye contact with anyone just awkward. Like, seriously, I'm not exaggerating when I say _everyone._ Well, lately at least. It's like Dick and myself were the only people with normal eyes left.

"Uhm, yeah, I guess." I muttered, flipping the page to be greeted by some skin cream that was 'erased wrinkles and age lines.' "I didn't really think about it, I just kind of did it."

Jason chuckled and my eyes darted up to him. He was looking thoroughly pleased, with one hand raking through his dark red buzz cut. "Oh god, this is rich. The Boy Wonder's sister just stole from the big bad Ms. King." He laughed again.

I held my tongue. Jason's parents, both who used to work with the military, were just a glass door away and I really didn't want them to hear my curse out their only son. They still had that crazy army training under their belts and I enjoyed being as little harmed as possible.

He seemed to finally get over the apparent hilarity of the situation, and instead started staring me down with his dark eyes. "So are you going to return the key or something?"

"No way, I'll get suspended and then Virginia _and_ Dick would kill me." I frowned, flipping the page again. The startlingly large image of a model wearing just a swim suit stared back up at me. Seriously? It's November and they _still_ have bathing suit pin-ups in the magazines?

Jason flipped his own sports magazine shut, leaning across the table to look at me. "So what are you going to do with it?" A glimmer of excitement sparkled in his eyes. "Don't tell me- are you actually going to steal the crap from a teacher's desk?"

I exhaled loudly, crossing my arms. "It's not _crap!_" I defended. The image of the sparkling tiara and glowing rope appeared in my mind. Oh yeah, _defiantly_ not _crap._ I deflated a little, looking away. "It's stupid. _This_ is stupid."

He looked skeptical. "Then what is it? Test answers? Because seriously, I have no idea how you can fail anything with _Dick_ living in the same house as you."

"It's nothing!" I snapped. I was really getting tired of this. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a normal way to explain the needed to just be in possession of them. Because saying _'Being near them make me feel like I'm safe, like I kinda belong'_ sounds pretty crazy in my opinion.

Maybe I got it from that Wally kid. Does insanity spread?

Jason seemed to be thoroughly in intrigued by my defensive outburst. He gave a sly grin. "Describe nothing."

I huffed, crossing my arms across my chest and turning away in what was probably the most immature thing I've done in a good while in front of Jason. He was seriously starting to tick me off. Why couldn't my friends just help me commit crimes without asking a bunch of questions?

…

Now that I think about it that Wally guy did seem pretty contagious. Yeah, that must be it.

"Look, are you going to help me or not?" I finally asked, getting tired of his smirk-grin. I gathered my things in a sudden movement and readied myself to stand. "Because I have other places to be if you aren't."

A panicked expression crossed his face – an oddly blank state of panic, actually – and he threw his hand out towards me. "No! I'll totally help you." His voice sounded forced and robotic, making me pause just at the tone and blink. Jason cleared his throat. "I'll help you, just tell me what it is we're talking about here. I won't laugh; promise."

I stared at him for a second to see if he was kidding or not. I was realized he wasn't I sighed. I collapsed back onto the wooden bench.

"A tiara and a rope-lasso-thing." I told him. Jason's expression turned unreadable and flat, every face muscle relaxing. "I told you it was stupid." I muttered.

"With a red star on the front." His voice sounded really weird again, like someone else was taking. I raised an eyebrow. "And a golden lasso?"

I nodded slowly and Jason let out a swift and completely graceful curse. He swept my stuff towards me and rose from the bench, whirling on his heel towards the house. I blinked for a second before tossing my school bag back onto the table and following him.

"Jason, are you ok?" I asked tentatively. He didn't answer. I narrowed my eyes, my temper flaring. I bounded forward. Grabbing onto his arm just before he threw the glass door open, I snapped into his face. "Are you going to answer me, Jason? Because I am talking to you here! What is your problem?!"

Jason's face lowered instantly. As he pulled away – with a freaky amount of strength – I saw his face. But I didn't see Jason's face. Beady black eyes and three thin red lines going from under his eyes across his cheeks were there instead.

"The hell?!"

My eyes widened and I gasped as I pulled away. He took the chance and darted into the house, closing the sliding door in my face when I tried to follow him. The dark red curtains drew shut, blocking out any view of the house inside.

I tried the handle a few time before giving up. He wasn't going to let me in, and after that I didn't know if I wanted to go in.

A clap of thunder boomed in the distance, making me jump.

I looked up to be greeted with a sky that hadn't been as dark and menacing just twenty minutes ago. Thunder sounded off again. I cast a glare towards the red curtains, before circling around the house and going up the sidewalk that lead across town to my house.

Wind rustled all the dead leaves scattered around as my phone vibrated in my pocket, making me screech a little. I pulled it out and sighed. Virginia's text stared back up at me, telling me that she and Anthony would be attending a school PTO (there were insanely active in anything that would make them look good to other parents) meeting that had been scheduled last minute and reminding me to get home fast before the bulk of the storm hit.

I almost rolled my eyes, but instead a pair of footsteps behind me caught my attention. I held my breath, continuing on like I didn't hear whoever it was following me. It's like I knew what to do already, despite the fact I'd never been stalked before.

The back of my mind nagged that it might be Jason coming to apologize for being so freaky and scaring the crap out of me earlier, but I ignored it. Even if it was Jason, I was still scared he would go apeshit crazy on me again.

Whoever it was was loud and lumbering, their footsteps successfully crushing any leaves in their path. That alone ruled out them trying to sneak up on me by their carelessness. It was more like they it was wanted me to notice them, then confront me.

Before I realized I was doing it, I created a mental map of our distance, moving my eyes around to find a possible escape route in case they were psycho like the Wally guy or how Jason had been. The best chance I had at getting away would probably be vaulting over the Mumpower's back gate and banging on their porch door until the elderly couple came and saved me from the weirdo follower.

As I readied my legs to jump the pitch fence, the guy behind me grunted, clearly annoyed at my lack of attention to him. "Are you going to turn around or will I have to follow you back to wherever you're going?"

I took that _very_ creepy comment as a cue and sprung forward, making it halfway over the white wood before a strong hand grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me back.

A flash of lightning lit up the town as thunder followed not far after.

I almost screamed, but when I caught sight of my captor the scream died in my throat immediately.

He was hot_._ Hotter than the sorta-completely off his rocker freckled boy. Like, _hot_, hot kind of hot.

He had a chiseled face with blue eyes and black hair that looked like he hadn't cared enough to do anything more to it then pull a comb through it once or twice that morning. Blue eyes, black hair. It was an unfair combination that always had me crushing on them. Like witchcraft or something.

"I, um, uhhhh," I wanted to mentally slap myself for the intelligent response. He just looked unimpressed but slightly surprised. I looked down, noticing he was still holding my up by the collar of my shirt. Effortlessly, might I add. "Could you, uh, let me down?"

He just grunted again, still staring at me. I tried to avoid eye contact, but god it was really hard. His blue eyes were like lasers or something, but still a fraction less awesome then Dick's.

I shifted away as best possible, but he didn't seem to get the hint that I was getting uncomfortable.

In my mind I vaguely wondered what was up with everyone today and why all these people I don't know (ran over by the bus chick, freckle guy and now the creepy hunk) were just popping up all over town. I mean, seriously. Mecklenburg County is tiny and only two or three hundred people even live in its limits. No one ever visited, because there was no reason to. We were like that place you stop for twenty minutes to get something to eat and go relieve yourself after being on the road for hours upon hours upon hours.

"Do you recognize me?" He asked suddenly.

I was starting to wonder why I didn't just walk away. Dick was waiting for me at home, and I felt uncomfortable leaving that little troll alone with any of my personal belongings for more than five minutes tops. But then the wind made my still hanging off the ground legs sway and I remembered.

This guy could probably snap me like a twig. But still. There was a limit to the time you could hold a teenage girl captive.

"Uhm, no." I narrowed my eyes at him. Maybe this guy was in league with Wally. "Can you put me down now?"

Crazy hot or not, I didn't want to in association with anyone who might even just maybe be like that Wally guy (Jason doesn't count, I'm pretty sure he's having some sort of mental breakdown two blocks back) any longer than necessary.

He nodded and set me on my feet, taking a step closer. I stepped back, giving him a weak smile that screamed 'I really don't want to be near you.'

"I should be going." I said, taking another step backwards.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "But M'gann said-" He murmured before shaking his head and turning away. He made his way back the direction he was stalking me from.

I should been relieved that he was leaving me alone. Well, I was, but you know the saying. Curiosity killed the cat.

_M'gann._ That was the name Dick had said, the name I had said in my sleep. We ran the girl over with a bus, even if no one seems to remember it for whatever freaky reason. I wanted to know more. This guy had direct contact with her.

I chased after him. "Wait!"

He paused, looking over his thick shoulder at me. He looked very surprised this time, but the apparent frustration from our conversation still somewhat there. "What?"

"I'm, oh um," I suddenly didn't know what to say.

What could I say? 'Hey, that M'gann girl, yeah our bus kind of ran her over yesterday morning on the way to school. But don't worry, she just phased right through the entire thing and everyone else in the entire world seems to have forgotten it ever even happened.' Yeah, no.

He raised an eyebrow, the same unamused look on his face.

I swallowed, shaking my head and waving him off. "I, er, never mind. Sorry." He didn't say anything, and walked away.

I watched the spot for a second before sighed and slamming my palm over my forehead.

What was wrong with me? Maybe Wally's crazy _did_ spread. Or maybe everything's was just becoming too weird lately. None of these things ever happened before, everything was _normal._ Nothing weird or special about this town. But now everything just went upside down. What was wrong with this town? Or these people?

I would have _never _cared enough to go after a guy like him- despite how hot he may be. The only guy I have ever had the initial sense to run after is Dick, but that's because he's practically my little brother. It's like instinct.

Another pair of thunder and lightning caught me by surprise.

I glanced up at the sky to see the slow rolling cumulonimbus with lightning beginning to dart between its puffy folds. I wrapped my arm around myself, my other one instinctively grabbing for the strap of my bag. When all I grabbed was air, I had to skid to a halt.

A frown slid onto my face as I remembered chasing after Jason and leaving it there, outside on the picnic table. The only thing to protect the old thing (it had been Anthony's in college) from the rain that was bound to come was an old tree house that hung out over the Tabb's backyard from their century old tree. There was no way it or my homework would make it.

I momentarily debated jogging back around and grabbing it before Jason even noticed me, but then I remembered those black eyes. A shiver ran up my spine.

"But," I mused, crossing my arms unhappily. "I would be in so much trouble for losing the bag. Maybe…"

As if to steer me away from going back, another round of thunder drummed out, being the loudest thus far. It made the ground shake and some leaves on a tree in the Mumpower's backyard float down to the ground.

A small smile burst onto my face and I turned my smoky eyes to the sky. "Thanks Mother Nature," I murmured. "You don't always suck, you know that? Don't listen to all those girls."

I darted off down the street towards my house, shaking my head amused. Maybe being contaminated with insanity wasn't so bad.

* * *

_It sucks, I know._

_I'm not happy with it. Heck, I'm not even _un_happy with it. I just hate it. I don't know what I was trying to do with this embarrassingly short chapter, but whatever my mind wanted, I failed in the most epic fashion. Kon just seems all wrong and I made Jason go all super freaky. Gah! I just hate it._

_I was kind of trying to show how Conner doesn't understand social signals that a normal person might get since he doesn't have the same experiences and has bad social skill, but I don't know. I think I just made him a stoic freak who followed Artemis around._

_Feel free to chew me out in the comments, because I totally deserve it._

_Also, I'm starting to notice how my first person writing is becoming much more of a Maximum Ride kind of first person instead of how it sort of started out like Divergent first person. Not to say that's a bad thing, but it just seems so drastic. I was sort of hoping I might be able to keep the same style over the course of the fic. Maybe I'll go back and rewrite the first few chapters in a more teenagery perspective if I have the time. __But I'm focusing on the next chapter first._

_Hopefully it won't take me a month this time..._

**MAILBAG**

Broken Antler in Winter- Oh don't worry, I plan on Dick getting his time to shine in this too. But that's coming later, after the big reveal and such. Right now I'm focusing on Artemis because, out of the two humans, she just seems more human to me. I mean, Dick is right in the same league as she is in that department, but I think Artemis is going to have the better reactions to things then Dick is.

arrowflash- Well here you go! Artemis' old self is kicking in, but only when she feels threatened. But don't fret my loyal (I think) reader, Artemis will be back to her old, butt kicking, arrow shooting self soon. It's just the matter of getting there.

Guest- I'm not alone in this world! That Raven fic was so amazing, and I'm actually surprised soemone knows what I was talking about. And, thank you! I'm glad you love it! This story is stating to nestle its own little place in my heart as well.

ArkieR- YOU. ARE. AN. AWESOME. REVIEWER! *arms flail in joy* Seriously, I mean it. When I'm going through the planning process for this story, I was sure I would have already given it all away by now. I'm not the best at mystery or suspense things, so hearing things like that make me feel all bubbly and junk. As for the updating thing, I feel terrible for taking so long. I'm a monster, I know, but my life just suddenly was full of things to do and my schedule was suddenly slapping me in the face and then anytime I was able to sit down and type writers block would take the opertunity and punch me in the nose. It was like the universe was against me or something.

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**Review? :)**


	5. It's a Date

11/3/2013

_I think I'm at the point that updates once a month are the norm._

_Sorry guys, I don't mean to keep you waiting so long, but what's a girl to do? School's being a complete dictator and Stalin all my writing plans (HISTORY JOKES!)_

_Anyways, I was kind of hesitant to put so much into this chapter, but you all deserve some prize for being so patient with me. So, instead of the plot thickening (or as _RobinsReckoning _would say, unfolding) a little bit -lot- of light will be shined down upon this thing I call a plot line. Hope you guys enjoy._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

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**Identity Default**

**Chapter 5: It's a Date**

Anapine, Idaho 

November 12 (Tuesday), 7:20 pm MST

As soon as I got home, I was trampled by Dick. His sandy hair was still wet from the shower and he was wearing my super comfy robe that I hadn't seen in forever over some very pajama-like lazy clothes. He gave me this look, before smiling. I tried to return it but the faint lather that was still on his forehead was very distracting.

"That took forever, I'll have you know."

I shrugged, pressing my lips together. My hair and shoulders were damp from the rain, which just had to start falling just as I was half a block away. I had run the rest of the way home, which was just another freaking cherry on top of the cake. I should have been annoyed or even pretty angry, but with how Jason had been acting and that guy (who I have no shame in admitting I was still mentally fawning over despite his lack of any people skills or a name) I was more confused than anything.

Dick scanned me over, one of his eyebrows quirking. I knew what was coming. "Where's your bag? Anthony's gonna be pretty upset you lost it." And there it was. Boy, I could feel the excitement just bubbling up for this conversation.

I shrugged, pushing past him. He followed me through the mud room and to the kitchen, watching silently as I rummaged through the fridge. My hands skittered around the leftovers sealed into tupperware containers. I finally pulled out with one of Virginia's gross vegetable fruit juices, ignoring Dick's incredulous look. Walking past Anthony's home office I finally collapsed onto couch, popping open the vegetable water and taking a large chug. The gross flavor made me feel sick, but it also reminded me that I wasn't dreaming up the past few days, so that was good.

Dick leaned in the doorway. His curiosity, I'm sure, piqued by my strange behavior. The thought of trying to act normal for his sake fluttered through my mind but I easily dismissed it. Dick was a big kid; I didn't exactly need to shield him for the rest of his life- no matter how tempting it sounded sometimes.

"Didn't you have a date with Jason or something?" Dick asked. He walked over to me, just looming beside the couch. He almost blended in with the shadows of the dimly lit room. It was weird.

"Something's…wrong." I said carefully. Dick was pretty much a mini detective, so I knew I had to be careful with what I said around him. "With Jason, I mean."

He looked doubtful. "Well don't be mysterious about it or anything."

"I won't."

Dick stared me down as he came over. "You should go put on something dry. You'll be more comfortable." He suggested. Dick sat down next to me.

"I'm not soaked, I'll be fine. But thanks for the suggestion." I replied, looking down at myself.

Truthfully, some soft pajamas would be much more comfortable than my rain speckled jeans and damp sweatshirt. Only to maybe be made better if I could wash my hair or something. But right now I just felt exhausted, and the idea of moving was the bane of my existence at the moment.

Dick shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever." He dismissed. "I just wanted you to be more comfortable when I interrogate you." As the smirk grew on his face my dread did as well.

"What do you mean?" I tried. "Do you want me to give you some more tips on how to man up and ask Gracie on a date?"

Dick was a smart little brat but he could be distracted from whatever his mind had been set to if you pulled up the right conversation. I had always found teasing him about Gracie being the easiest way to buy myself some time from whatever he wanted to grill me about. Sadly, this time, he saw my attempt and just shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass." He jumped towards me suddenly, knocking me onto the floor and sitting on my stomach. "I have a few things I want to know, and I _know_ how to find them out." Dick's grin tripled in size. "So you can tell me, or I can make you."

I huffed, not even trying to push him off me. We'd been through these kinds of situations before and I'd learned long ago that he was stronger than me. It wasn't fair, considering I was like two years older, but whatever. "And what would those 'terrifying' methods be?"

In one quick motion he pulled my shirt up to show my stomach and began tickling me. _Tickling me._

I struggled to get him off me while holding in my laughter. Dick wouldn't budge or stop unless I told him what he wanted to know and that sucked. It only took me seconds to crack and begin laughing nonstop.

"Stop it!" I giggled out, slamming my hands into his arm. "I'll tell you! Just stop it- _for god's sake stop!"_ I laughed one of those breathless laughs where you can't stop but your lungs don't have enough air to keep full on howling. "Dick! You're such a dick! Goddammit, why do I even talk to you?! Stop, it tickles so badly! I tell you, whatever you want!"

Dick chuckled, not even slowing his attack. "Is that a promise I hear?" He asked slowly, just relishing in seeing me squirm.

There were moments I really hated my brother and this was one of them.

"It's a goddamn promise! Just get off-" I let out a long tirade of screeching laughs, still trying to kick him off. "Get off me!"

He smiled, rolling off my and onto his knees. I laid sprawled out on my back, breath heavy and my face totally red. I turned my head to glare at him, but burst out laughing again, this time it being completely of my own choice. Dick shook his head, rocking back and forth.

"Seriously, Arty." He grinned. "You are just too easy. It's not even a challenge anymore."

I rolled my eyes, rolling over onto my stomach to look at him better. "I'm so glad you're above my level, Boy Wonder. Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?" I paused. "You sure this isn't about Gracie?" It was worth a shot.

Dick sobered, suddenly averting my eyes. I blinked in surprise. That wasn't his girlfriend advice face, or his '_You're the best sister ever Artemis and that's why I came to you to talk about my problems_' face either. I didn't recognize this one.

"Artemis…" He said carefully, pressing his lips together as he tried to figure out what to say. I didn't rush him. "Have you noticed how everything's been really weird around here? Or was it just me?"

Ahh, so that's his '_Artemis, our lives are going to total shit and I wanted to talk to you about it since for once I have no idea what to do about it._' face. I didn't like that face.

I sat up, crossing my legs and leaning against the old rocking chair.

Anthony had shoved into the corner of the room after his mother gave it to him. I personally loved the rocking chair, because it was super comfortable, but Dick had broken it when he was still in his 'flip and cartwheel off of everything in the house because I can' faze after he moved in. Because of that there was a hole in the netting of the seat, making it feel really awkward when sitting in it.

Dick didn't stop rocking, but he did stop avoiding my eyes. He looked direction at me, making me feel like _I _should look away.

"What do you mean weird?" Because a lot of weird things have been going on and you should really be specific about what you mean by weird.

He lifted his shoulders a bit as if to shrug. "New people? No one ever goes through Anapine. Like the girl yesterday morning." His looked at me, almost nervous. "You remember her right? I'm not the only one now." He relaxed when I nodded.

"Who else?" I asked, having taken notice to how people clearly meant more than just one.

It was obvious that whatever started yesterday morning was bothering Dick, and by being his unofficial older sister, it was my job to help.

"Have you ever heard of a man called Bruce Wayne?"

I cradled my face in my hands. "No, never in my life."

He groaned, sinking back and stopping his constant rocking. Dick threw his head back to where it rested on the cushions of out couch, looking up at the ceiling unhappily. "Ugh, so not feeling the aster."

"Why? Have you or something?"

"No- well, yeah. Sorta. It's kind of hard to explain. Truthfully, I was hoping you had so I wouldn't have to."

I scoffed. "Tough luck, Dickie. Now give it your best shot."

Dick sighed, crawling up onto the couch and lying flat on his back. He crossed one arm behind his back, the other thrown over his eyes. Again, I had the creepy feeling that I just knew him better without seeing his eyes.

"Whatever." Dick murmured. "You know how you Ms. Lace sent you to the office?"

I nodded. "Yeah, she said she needed to speak to you about something. What was that about?"

His arm retracted from his eyes and he blinked up at the ceiling. "It was really weird. Ms. Lace had told me that I was starting to remember- about what I have no idea. Then she locked the door and started going on about some group called the Justice League. I think she has a double personality disorder, because the woman I was talking to defiantly wasn't Ms. Lace. She was too motherly or something like that."

I jumped to attention because, _seriously?_ If a teacher leading an unsuspecting student into her office and locking him in there only to start talking about what could be some freaky cult or something. I had every right to be a little freaked out.

"Did she hurt you?" I demanded immediately, crawling over to him. I narrowed my eyes at a small bruise by the collar of his shirt I hadn't seen before, glaring up at him, but not really at him. "Dick, did she touch you?"

He sat up immediately, his face a little red. "Wait, what?! No! No, Artemis, she didn't do…_that_ or anything." He took a breath and the pink color faded from his cheeks. "No, she just went on about how me and you were kidnapped a little less than a year ago and how it had taken them this long to find us. Then she started entreating me to come back with her."

I scooted back a little, but my suspicious glare didn't even waver. "Ok, so what did you do? She didn't just let you out, did she?"

"Well, no. She didn't. She kept saying all my JLA aunts and uncles miss me and that some guy named Bruce was falling apart without me. Ms. Lace kept telling me that I was ready to remember and I just needed to follow her to their 'base,'" He used finger quotations. "So M'gann could 'restore my memories' for me."

"Is that Bruce the same one as Bruce Wayne? And that M'gann girl the same one as that girl yesterday?"

I cocked my head to the side, my brain trying to process how well all of this fit together. The same names kept coming up, linking together to each other. It was getting freaky how connected all these strange new people were becoming.

Dick looked at me as if I was the one who had grown a second head. "Artemis…You can't tell me you seriously believe any of this? It's absolutely insane!" He snapped, looking at me disbelievingly. Dick shook his head. "I thought you were the only other sane person in this town."

"I am!" I objected immediately. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Ok, so maybe I sorta see how all of this comes together, but that doesn't make it set in stone or anything. You can still talk to me Dick."

He just kind of shifted away from me.

I tried not to sigh. "How does this Wayne guy come into the picture? Can you at least tell me that, or are you seriously going to make me beg?"

A small smile came across his face. "I don't know, begging seems like a pretty good way for you right now Arty."

"Ok," I resigned, holding my hands up. "I'm begging you to continue this story in the kitchen while you make me something to eat. I am absolutely starving right now. Plus you know I can't cook to save my life." I flicked one of the longer pieces of his still damp hair on his forehead.

Dick nodded amusedly as he climbed off the couch. He stopped, pausing. "What? Did Mrs. Tabb not shove any food in your face this time?" He stroked his not-there-beard-beard. "Interesting."

I slid onto a seat at the table and stayed silent. Memories of Jason's freak out made me shiver at bit, and Dick pretended not to notice.

The cabinets banged and clattered as Dick trifled through them. "So, how about something easy?" He held out a soup can and some bread. "Soup and grill cheeses for a rainy day sound great."

"Sounds cool, as long as I don't have to do anything." I agreed.

He bowed towards me, soup can still in hand. "As you wish milady."

I rolled my eyes. I folded my hands onto the table and laid my cheek against them, still watching Dick with a little smile on my face. "You better stop there before I start calling Sir Dick."

Dick smirked at me. "Touché, milady." He used his ridiculous, thick Transylvanian accent that time, spinning back around to start the food.

I snickered, closing my eyes. "Just make the food Sir Dick. I'm tired _and _hungry." I relaxed a bit into the completely uncomfortable wooden table that somehow managed to be a cloud at the moment.

There was a clatter of pans and the click of Dick turning on the oven. "Oh yeah, just totally sleep over there while I exert myself for you. Completely fair."

I yawned a bit. "Yup."

Dick grumbled something along the lines of "Well excuse me for trying to be chalant about it."

I giggled briefly before falling asleep.

*V*^*V*^*V*^*V*

Anapine, Idaho 

November 12 (Tuesday), 8:03 pm MST

"Now," I carefully balanced the soup bowls on my bedside table, making sure none of the dark red tomato soup sloshed to close to the edge. "Why don't you finish up you little adventure story?"

Dick slid the plates of grilled cheese onto the chest at the foot on my bed. "Alright, but don't you think we should eat first." He glanced around. "And, at the table."

I dismissed him with a wave. "Whatever, what Virginia doesn't know won't kill her." I dug around in my closet for the folding dinner trays that Anthony had gotten me at some point.

He blinked. "Virginia…? What about…"

I stuck my head out of the closet. "Uhm, who were you talking about?"

"Do we know anybody named Alfred?" Dick asked, looking up from the plates. He stopped, shaking his head. "No, we don't." Dick smiled at me a little. "Sorry, I'm just thinking about that book I finished last week. The murder mystery one. There was a butler named Alfred."

I walked back over with the folded trays hanging off my arms. Dick hopped down and helped me set them up, putting our own respective meals on each one. We both settled back onto my bed, in front of our own dinner.

"Must have been a really good book if you got that into it." I commented, dripping my grilled cheese into the soup and blowing on it. Dick nodded in agreement, using one of our overly massive spoons to eat his soup.

Dick glanced at me. "You should really change out of that sweatshirt. You'll get a cold or something." He informed me, copying my actions with the cheese sandwich.

I shrugged. "After the story, Dick. Now, where were you? That Bruce guy?"

"No, breaking out of Ms. Lace's office."

"What?" I looked at him. "You're kidding right? You didn't actually have to break out of there, did you?" He nodded. "Can't we get her arrested for that?"

Dick put a hand on his chin. "Well maybe, but I don't think she's going to be around here anymore."

I blinked quiet rapidly at that. "What did you do to Ms. Lace?"

"I didn't do it, Mickey did."

I almost dropped my spoon back into the bowl. "Huh?" I muttered intelligently. "But, but… Mickey was on the bus, she left like twenty minutes before that even happened! Why was she even on school grounds? She hates being at school when it mandatory, let alone optional!"

Dick didn't seem to certain either. "I know, but, I mean, that wasn't exactly what I was focusing on when she broke through the window. I was defiantly more concerned at how she was such a good fighter. Ms. Lace too. Those two were really duking it out."

I swallowed. "So, uh, what did you do? You didn't just stand there and watch them beat each other up, did you?"

"I did exactly what Mickey told me to do and ran. I went of the window, but Ms. Lace kind of grabbed my foot while I was climbing out. I fell, and that's where the brush came from." Dick pulled the collar of his shirt down a bit to show the small brown bruise.

"Anything else you want to add to our share time?"

Dick snorted, shaking his head. "It's not share time if you don't put in your own two cents, you know that right?"

I took a big bite of my last grilled cheese. "Like it matters. Was that question avoidance I heard? Or are you just being a smart ass like usual?"

Dick scooted further up onto my bed, collapsing flat onto his back. "I don't know. Being a smart ass would make me feel better but I'm really just avoiding the rest of the conversation."

I did the same as him, turning my head to the side so I could look at him. "Is this a conversation you want me to start or just wait for?"

Dick lolled his head around in a circle, his neck creaking twice. "Would it be deja vu if I said not particularly? Because I'm pretty tired right now."

I exhaled. "Oh yeah, says the boy who never sleeps. You're like a bat or something." When he didn't say anything I sat up. "Yeah, it can wait. Tomorrow? Right here. You bring the soup, I'll bring the sucky emotional support."

Dick didn't really say anything for a second, glancing towards the window when a stray bolt of lightning from the still strong storm flashed outside the house.

"Sure, it's a date." Dick rolled off my bed, flipping onto his feet. "But bring your two cents. I find them more interesting than emotional support. It's not really your strong suit."

I smiled. "Touché. It's a date."

* * *

_This chapter has a lot of Artemis and Dick relationship coming into it, which wasn't really how I had planned it. The tickle attack was about it but from there I couldn't stop myself from drowning everyone in family-like fluff. Hope it didn't get unbearable._

_I'm just starting to notice how childish Dick is. It kind of bugs me, because I'm not meaning to fit him into the younger brother role so well, but once the not as big as the big reveal but still big reveal comes he'll grow up kind of fast. I think I'm making him actually act his age because I don't have Wally there to balance him out. Usually Wally is my Robin stone and helps me keep him closer to his show character, but it get hard with the speedster here not being here (YET) _

_Also, I think it's worth mentioning I did a few changes, if you haven't noticed. I screwed around with the coolio image editor on Image Manager and put some effects and words on the picture. I also went back throughout the chapters and added the time stamp thing they had on the show to each breakline on chapter beginning. I wanted to make sure you guys had a grip on how fast Artemis and Dick's lives were going crazy._

_Now just because I reveled a bit about Dinah and Diana in the last few chapters doesn't mean you guys have any idea what's going on. Quite the opposite actually. I just kind of want to see how you all would react if I threw you a bone. There's still the big plot twist (could you call it a plot twist?) coming up which will totally throw things off Atlas' shoulders. _

_I just hope you guys are prepared, because from here on out it will be getting pretty off track pretty fast._

**MAILBAG**

Broken Antler in Winter- You are literally so close it hurts, man. So close yet so far!

RobinsReckoning- Hey, at least you reviewed! One in all and all in one, right? Glad you like the Dick Artemis, brother sister thing. It will become really important later, trust me. Trust me, Artemis isn't my favorite character either, Dick most defiantly is. But I like the dynamic she has, and how she reacts to situations differently to our little Grayson. I think Homefront was really the reason I put the story in her perspective, to the truthful. Just the way that Dick was kind of her rock throughout the entire thing made me think that it would be interesting to put her in this kind of situation. Also, hope you don't mind me mentioning you, totally couldn't resist.

Jennifer Scott- Why yes, yes you can. ;) I wasn't super confident in my Artemis writing abilities, because while I'm writing dialogue for her I always stop and think 'Would Artemis even say this? Am I just drowning her character in my own personality?' so this really makes me feel better about it. As for the quick updates, I really am trying. I hope you can manage with what I can crank out once a month.

ArkieR- Good! Atmosphere was always so flimsy to me and keeping it up had never exactly been a top priority. I wanted to see if I could set some kind of mood using weather. With Conner I think you're right. I always imagined him super blunt because of how socially crippled he was for the first forever of the show.

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**Review? :)**


	6. Teaser

11/10/2013

_First things first, I'm not counting this as a technical but I don't want to screw up the counting so I'm putting it as chapter 6.  
_

_This is more of a jump from Anapine to our mystery villain's lair/conference. Think of this as an award for sticking with me so long. I hope it doesn't spoil anything, because I tried to keep the characters vague. I hate doing that, like not using names, but I can't give anything away so just bear with me. This chapter isn't actually necessary to completely understand what's to come, but whatever._

_ I won't be doing the whole 'Man #1, Man #2' thing for the rest of the story, so don't worry. But also, that doesn't mean this entire story will be Artemis' POV. I've had a few reviews expression concern about Dick not getting any of the spotlight, but, really, his upcoming role is actually more important then Artemis'. Dick will get his time in the limelight soon enough my friends._

_I'm actually thinking about giving out a little award thing for the reviewer who guesses,_ all of them,_ them first. Maybe I do a nice and neat little one-shot of their choice. If you want to try your luck, review on this chapter and THIS CHAPTER ONLY. I'll probably announce the winner (if there is one) by somewhere around chapter 10 or eleven, really whichever one will announce who the villains are. I wish I could give an exact, but I'm so bad at estimating chapter content because I tend to story ramble. So yeah, if you get it right a prize is in store for you...Give it your best shot._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

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**Identity Default**

**Chapter 6: Teaser**

Unknown Location

November 11, 10:30 Unknown

The large circular room was dimly lit; the occupants' faces barely visible as they all sat solemnly around the wooden table. The one at the head of the table twisted his hands into fists, taking a deep breath to calm himself. The woman at his side refrained from placing a hand on his shoulder, keeping her hands neatly folding in her lap. The rest of the guest remained silent, waiting.

"The meeting may commence." The first man instructed to his companions, the calm tone completely forced. "We will begin with you," He looked towards one of the other men at the end of the table. "Since this was your idea entirely to begin with."

The second man shrugged. "Not entirely, if you remember right. You contributed a lot to the idea in your own way."

"That is not what is being asked of you." The lone woman in the room said sharply, sitting up just that much straighter. "We are requesting to know if you have a solution to the problem, not commentary on how it was created." At a glare by the first man she settled back into her chair.

The second man narrowed his gaze at her. "Fine." He snapped. "I suggest an expedite, as soon as you can. With how this is going so far the plans will be null soon anyway. We need to go onto the next step before those _children _ruin this."

The first man raised an elegant eyebrow. "And what of the girl? She was never supposed to be in this originally at all. What do you propose we do with her?"

The second man just shrugged again, tapping his finger on the table top. "She wasn't my problem to begin with. We all know who added her before the first step was taken, and that wasn't my problem either. I don't much care about what happens to her, really. I just want my end of the deal when this is all over."

"And you shall have it." The first man leaned forward. "But like all business transactions you get nothing for free. Now, we can end this meeting now and continue on without you, or you may provide some sort of council as to what else we need to do."

The second man bowed his head slightly to show he was listening. "Of course. First step would be the expedite, second would be to deliver the girl. You have no use for her; I have no use for her. We don't need to worry what happens after we retrieve them both."

"What if I am of use of the girl?" The woman inserted bitingly. "Artemis has proven talented before and with her prior training selling her for arms would be just as easy as adding her to my personal ranks."

The second man crossed his arms. "Then be my guest. She wasn't part of my deal, so I don't care."

The first man looked at the woman. "Would you be willing to train her?"

The woman tilted her chin up slightly. "Of course. It would be no trouble to deal with Artemis. She might even become one of my best guards if she proves as talented as we have observed."

"Very well. But we will execute her if necessary. While she may be promised to you, she has no real part in the grand scheme of things, but we will try our best to have her safely delivered to you."

"What about those two?" The second man asked, tilting his head towards the two other men in the room.

They had been completely silent, watching the conversation between the three go on. The third man, considerable smaller than the rest of the people in the room, looked up from the diagrams he had been silently scribbling on.

"_We_ are the reason any of this thing is working out." He huffed, setting the charcoal sketching pencil onto the gridded paper. "I think that deserves some form of respect." The smallest man glared at the second.

The second man looked unimpressed.

"I wouldn't test them. He is telling the truth." The man at the head of the table informed regally. "None of this, not even step one, would have been accomplished if neither of them had been persuaded to work for us."

The fourth, palest man scoffed. "By persuaded you mean payed." His almost pitch white finger tapped against the table. "How much longer will my services be needed?"

"The Martian girl is there." The second man chimed in, still scrunching the two more quiet men and leaning back relaxed in his conference chair.

"We are well aware of who is there and who is not." The first man snapped at him. He turned to the last two guests sitting at the end of the table. "Four more days at the most. Can you both compensate for that?"

"As long as you provide the money." The smallest man shrugged. "_If_ you can provide the money." The palest man agreed with a single nod of his head.

"Any amount."

The two men shared a glance and they both smirked. "Deal. Onto step seven." They said together.

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_Not to obvious am I? If so, sorry. It doesn't exactly completely ruin the story, so...don't worry?_

_This was a short one I know, only about 800 words. _

**MAILBAG WILL BE RESPONDED TO IN NEXT CHAPTER'S AUTHOR'S NOTE**

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**Review? :) (you may actually get a prize this time!)**


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